Aside

The 80/20 rule

It’s 3 a.m. and I just woke from an 8-hour “nap.” I plan to sleep some more, hopefully until the morning when work begins.

When I’m so tired, I am a worse person. The energy allocated to managing my words and demeanor is non-existent, so I am less thoughtful, more raw; there is no filter. I am spiky and unpleasant to be around. I don’t love this version of me, but I accept her.

My manager once told me that when she gives wedding speeches, she likes mentioning the 80/20 rule. She said, there is never someone who is 100%; if we find someone we like 80%, we are lucky.

I had not yet learned to like myself then. I eventually took that thought and applied it to myself.

I like myself 80%. As for the other 20%, there are some parts I can actively work on improving and other parts that just are what they are, and it’s okay.

It’s something I still think about often, to remind myself that it’s okay to not be 100%, for others to not be 100%.